Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Lorin Maazel :: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet

Excellent CD

Jeff Brown | Portland, OR | 11/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The two pieces on this disc are well-known symphonic staples. Both recordings are excellent demonstrations. The sound is fantastic for that time period, although not as good as current SACD recordings from Telarc. There must be a 1000 Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet recordings out there to choose from, many of them as good as this. I would not buy this disc on the basis of the Tchaikovsky, but it is an excellent version. The Shostakovich might not have as many versions out there to sift through, but this version seems to slide in between two extremes. On one side you have Bernstein that heightened the drama and took the Finale at break-neck speed to a thrilling ending. On the other you have Kerizberg who wades into the work with a dark undertone and a truly tragic ending. Kerizberg easily beats both Bernstein and Maazel here in terms of recording quality, but each of these versions are excellent. I cannot recommend one over the other, but among other competitors, this version must rank very highly. Highly recommended."

Hank's review..............

Paul | Houston | 08/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"got it exactly RIGHT. GO GET THIS disc as the soundstage and performances are terrific."